DIAGNOdent

Cavities are a serious oral health issue that affects the teeth of millions of people, children, and adults alike. They are small pits that form on the surfaces of your teeth as a result of tooth decay. Decay occurs when the acids produced by plaque and bacteria sit on the surfaces of your teeth for too long. The acids eat away at your enamel, weakening it, and eventually causing the cavities to form. With regular dental exams, we can detect the presence of cavities in their earliest stages. At Shenandoah Family Dentistry, we can detect the presence of hidden cavities with DIAGNOdent.

What Is DIAGNOdent?

DIAGNOdnt is an advanced dental laser that is used to detect cavities in their early stages of development. We use this laser as a part of your regular dental exams, in conjunction with a visual examination of your teeth as well as dental x-rays. Visual inspections of your teeth enable us to spot cavities on the visible surfaces of your teeth while dental x-rays allow us to find cavities between the teeth. DIAGNOdent enables us to detect cavities inside of the teeth, where visual exams and x-rays cannot find them.

How DIAGNOdent Works

Using DIAGNOdent is quick and completely painless. After your teeth are cleaned, we then scan your teeth. The laser uses a harmless beam of fluorescent light. The light reflects back off of the teeth and onto a laser diode. When the teeth are healthy, they reflect back little to no fluorescence. Decay, on the other hand, reflects back higher amounts of fluorescence. The fluorescence is translated into a number on the LED base unit of the laser. The higher the number, the greater the amount of decay. In addition to displaying a number, the DIAGNOdent laser also emits a noise when it passes over an area of decay.

DIAGNOdent Benefits

DIAGNOdent provides several benefits, including:

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Scanning your teeth with DIAGNOdent is fast. It usually only takes a few minutes to complete.

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The scan is completely painless. There is no need to scrape or poke at your teeth.

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We can detect cavities that cannot be seen with a visual exam or with dental x-rays.

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With the laser technology, we can detect the presence of cavities in their earliest stages that are forming underneath the outer layer of your teeth. DIAGNOdent also enables us to detect cavities in the chewing surfaces of your teeth, where they can be difficult to detect with traditional methods.

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We can detect decay before it has the chance to turn into a cavity.

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With early detection, we can provide you with treatment sooner.

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Fillings can be shallower, which enables us to preserve more of your natural tooth structure.

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DIAGNOdent is one of the most effective ways to find cavities in individual teeth.

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The only thing that the laser emits is light. It is completely safe to use at every regular dental exam.

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DIAGNOdent is an excellent way to detect cavities in patients who may feel anxious or frightened.

DIAGNOdent enables us to detect hidden cavities in their earliest stages. We are then able to provide you with effective treatment to restore the health of your mouth. For more information, call Shenandoah Family Dentistry today at 540-551-4455.